As you may remember, the doorway panels are going to be attached to a 1' deep header. This band of blue-green will run the entire circumference of the tent (at 7' up) and Clarence and I have been searching for months for the proper mottoe to put on it. After much deliberation we have decided on:
INCEPTIS GRAVIBUS PLERUMQUE ET MAGNA PROFESSIS PURPUREUS LATE QUI SPLENDEAT UNUS ET ALTER ADSUITUR PANNUS
Which we understand translates as " In serious works and ones that promise great things, one or two purple patches are often stitched in, to glitter far and wide." (Horace 65-8 BC)
I love it.
I'm planning on doing each individual letter in applique (of course) because I just can't see myself taking on the project of embroidering all 29 +/- feet and finishing it before Pennsic...or this year...or ever!
***
I just need to finish up the applique work on AIR and EARTH before I can move on...
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
I spoke too soon...New Pavilion photos are here
As promised, a full length shot of all four door panels thus far. The dead twig-ish thing in the third panel will be a tree (EARTH) as soon as we finish the step I left off of my previous list:
?) Lay the panel on the floor and stare at it and fiddle around with the pieces while Clarence figures out how we are going to make the symbol to represent the element...and we talk about it...and look at pictures...and talk and fiddle some more.
Not that I am saying he is the Spike to my Harmony, but we have a division of labor agreement going on...
Here is a detail shot of the fountain on the WATER panel .
?) Lay the panel on the floor and stare at it and fiddle around with the pieces while Clarence figures out how we are going to make the symbol to represent the element...and we talk about it...and look at pictures...and talk and fiddle some more.
Not that I am saying he is the Spike to my Harmony, but we have a division of labor agreement going on...
Here is a detail shot of the fountain on the WATER panel .
Oops! forgot the Camera!
Well, the plan was to post lovely pictures of my 4 door panels so that you could see the progress. I've finished the applique on the second panel (WATER) and almost finished all the prep work on both of the remaining panels (AIR and EARTH) so I am definitely moving faster than in the beginning. I'm really happy with my progress and I think you will be too...If we just remember to get the camera!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Thoughts...OK, questions really...on Pavillion poles
First let me say that I believe that the most common structure for holding up a double belled wedge pavilion (in period) was very likely two poles, one at each end of the center section.
That being said, I'm pretty invested in making a "swing set" style structure because I like the flexibility of having all that open space. I'm also pretty sure I want to go with bamboo for my support poles. Mostly for the "green" characteristics of bamboo, but also for their strength, lightness, non-conductivity (in case of lightning!) and proportions similar to a classic pavilion pole.
I see lots of indications that bamboo tent poles are(or were) common in India, and I've seen some very interesting sites about the use of thinner bamboo poles in place of the shock-corded fiberglass poles common in modern tentage, but unfortunately I've yet to find any suppliers of *just* the bamboo poles for a pavilion, or any pictures of the connectors used for larger dimension bamboo tent poles, or anything which compares the strength of bamboo to a wood I am more familiar with (like say, pine) etc, etc.
I'm just a flood of questions.
That being said, I'm pretty invested in making a "swing set" style structure because I like the flexibility of having all that open space. I'm also pretty sure I want to go with bamboo for my support poles. Mostly for the "green" characteristics of bamboo, but also for their strength, lightness, non-conductivity (in case of lightning!) and proportions similar to a classic pavilion pole.
I see lots of indications that bamboo tent poles are(or were) common in India, and I've seen some very interesting sites about the use of thinner bamboo poles in place of the shock-corded fiberglass poles common in modern tentage, but unfortunately I've yet to find any suppliers of *just* the bamboo poles for a pavilion, or any pictures of the connectors used for larger dimension bamboo tent poles, or anything which compares the strength of bamboo to a wood I am more familiar with (like say, pine) etc, etc.
I'm just a flood of questions.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
About the applique...
It occurs to me that I should talk a bit about how I'm doing my applique, just in case someone else would find it useful.
I got the idea for the candelabrum form from the examples and text I found in the book The History of Decorative Arts: Renaissance and Mannerism in Europe edited by Alain Gruber. Apparently it is a classical design theme which was extensively used in the later Renaissance period due to an upsurge of interest in grotesques following the discovery of some ancient frescoes in Italy. It works for my purposes because of the overall shape, and because it is basically just a whole lot of stands, basins, plates, tazzas, urns and candle holders stacked on top of each other.
I decided to cut some appropriate shapes out of paper and stack them in various ways until I liked the look, then use the selected pieces as patterns.
The process is:
1) fold piece of paper in half and draw/cut out 1/2 of a tazza or other form
2) lay various forms onto my (doorway) panel and play with the design until perfected
3) number each piece for order and direction so I will be able to recreate the design
4) pin the pattern pieces to my applique fabric--leaving about 1/2" of space between them for seam allowance
5) cut the pieces apart (remembering to leave the seam allowance!)
6) draw around each pattern piece
7) remove pattern and hand stitch around each applique section staying just inside the drawn line (This stitch line ends up being the outside edge of the finished applique piece)
8) clip the seam allowance in the curves as necessary to make the edges turn back smoothly, then turn, baste and press all the edges
9) pin the prepared applique pieces to the panel--referring to the notes re order and direction as needed
10) stitch the applique to the panel
11) remove the basting stitches from the applique
12) do happy dance!
13) repeat as necessary
There are methods for doing applique which would sew the paper pattern into the tent--sandwiched between the two layers of fabric--but I prefer this method, and I get to keep the pattern pieces and use them again for the next panel.
The first panel took just over a week for the whole process but the second one is going much faster--a lot of which is probably due to my developing callouses on my fingers. Canvas is hard stuff to sew by hand!
(Additional pictures posted 3/27/2011)
I got the idea for the candelabrum form from the examples and text I found in the book The History of Decorative Arts: Renaissance and Mannerism in Europe edited by Alain Gruber. Apparently it is a classical design theme which was extensively used in the later Renaissance period due to an upsurge of interest in grotesques following the discovery of some ancient frescoes in Italy. It works for my purposes because of the overall shape, and because it is basically just a whole lot of stands, basins, plates, tazzas, urns and candle holders stacked on top of each other.
I decided to cut some appropriate shapes out of paper and stack them in various ways until I liked the look, then use the selected pieces as patterns.
The process is:
1) fold piece of paper in half and draw/cut out 1/2 of a tazza or other form
2) lay various forms onto my (doorway) panel and play with the design until perfected
3) number each piece for order and direction so I will be able to recreate the design
4) pin the pattern pieces to my applique fabric--leaving about 1/2" of space between them for seam allowance
5) cut the pieces apart (remembering to leave the seam allowance!)
6) draw around each pattern piece
7) remove pattern and hand stitch around each applique section staying just inside the drawn line (This stitch line ends up being the outside edge of the finished applique piece)
8) clip the seam allowance in the curves as necessary to make the edges turn back smoothly, then turn, baste and press all the edges
9) pin the prepared applique pieces to the panel--referring to the notes re order and direction as needed
10) stitch the applique to the panel
11) remove the basting stitches from the applique
12) do happy dance!
13) repeat as necessary
There are methods for doing applique which would sew the paper pattern into the tent--sandwiched between the two layers of fabric--but I prefer this method, and I get to keep the pattern pieces and use them again for the next panel.
The first panel took just over a week for the whole process but the second one is going much faster--a lot of which is probably due to my developing callouses on my fingers. Canvas is hard stuff to sew by hand!
(Additional pictures posted 3/27/2011)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
I submitted my device!
Wow. Actual content. I'm working on my Pavilion!
Lately I've been obsessively working on a pavilion. Make that a Pavilion!
In my fantasies it is all gloriously banded, appliqued and embroidered; it has mottoes and banners and a heraldic full inner liner based on our devices; it's fully furnished--in period appropriate furniture, of course--and makes quite a splash at events. (Ah, vanity, your name is Aurora...)
Of course, what I have right now is a rather large and heavy pile of chunks of fabric in various stages of construction. And pictures. I have pictures!
(Oh, and I also have very sore hands which are slowly forming pavilion-making-callouses, thank goodness!)
My doorway panels: In progress
Anyway, long, long ago in a land far, far away (2000-ish in Northern California) I started reading about the SCA on the internet and formed a desire to a) go to Pennsic, b) make a pavilion, and c) uphold my belief that the stripes and other decorations on period tents were more likely sewn than painted by doing just that. On to e-bay for canvas and I was shortly the proud owner of about 60 yards of flame retardant canvas in a lovely off-white and another chunk of canvas in a lovely blue-green and so I started work cutting 8 1/5' long oblongs of canvas into 2 triangles, attaching a band of the blue-green to the cut edge for support (thus making those colored stripes I saw on period illustrations) and assembling the triangles together.
Which worked just great until I tried to sew two of my assembled pairs of triangles together and discovered that my machine *really* didn't like trying to make 3 flat-felled seams in the same place. Hmmmm....
Now I know why people use semi-circles at the very tip.
Of course, I then decided that I wasn't sure what style/size of pavilion I wanted...or how I was going to make those roof panels work...and I've been carting around around a partially finished tent ever since!
****
This winter seems to be the year of the pavilion.
I've decided to convert the pieces I originally made for the roof of a circular single pole pavilion into the cone-shaped end pieces of a double belled wedge. the finished wedge is going to be about 10' tall so I'm going to have to add additional length to the original pieces. I still haven't figured out how I am going to do *that* so right now I'm working on the center section.
It will be a panel which is 11' high by 9' wide (finished dimensions) on each side. The bottom section of each side will have a 7' high by 6' wide doorway opening bordered by 7' high x1 1/5' wide panels. they will connect to an 1' high by 9, wide panel which forms the top of the doorway, which will connect to a 8' x 9' day shade flap and the remaining 3'high by 9' wide roof piece.
I hope that description makes sense, but it will all be clear in the photos as it starts coming together.
Which brings me to the pictures!
Inspired by many lovely examples of late-period ornamentation I am going for a highly-embellished pavilion. the pilasters on each side of the doorway seemed a natural place for such embellishment and accommodate the candelabrum form well. There will need to be four such panels so, naturally, I am making a panel for each of the four elements. You can see all four panels in their various stages of applique above.
I've finished stitching down the entire "fire" panel and am well on the way with "water" but, as you can see, the other two elements are still in the thinking stages. The fire panel took me a week (hand stitching) so if I can keep up the pace I could have all 4 attached by the end of February. Wish me luck!
I'm pretty sure that they will need additional embroidery to add detailing and make them look less modern. One thing at a time.
This is a detail of the Fire panel. you can see I still need to remove all the stay-stitching from the pieces
In my fantasies it is all gloriously banded, appliqued and embroidered; it has mottoes and banners and a heraldic full inner liner based on our devices; it's fully furnished--in period appropriate furniture, of course--and makes quite a splash at events. (Ah, vanity, your name is Aurora...)
Of course, what I have right now is a rather large and heavy pile of chunks of fabric in various stages of construction. And pictures. I have pictures!
(Oh, and I also have very sore hands which are slowly forming pavilion-making-callouses, thank goodness!)
My doorway panels: In progressAnyway, long, long ago in a land far, far away (2000-ish in Northern California) I started reading about the SCA on the internet and formed a desire to a) go to Pennsic, b) make a pavilion, and c) uphold my belief that the stripes and other decorations on period tents were more likely sewn than painted by doing just that. On to e-bay for canvas and I was shortly the proud owner of about 60 yards of flame retardant canvas in a lovely off-white and another chunk of canvas in a lovely blue-green and so I started work cutting 8 1/5' long oblongs of canvas into 2 triangles, attaching a band of the blue-green to the cut edge for support (thus making those colored stripes I saw on period illustrations) and assembling the triangles together.
Which worked just great until I tried to sew two of my assembled pairs of triangles together and discovered that my machine *really* didn't like trying to make 3 flat-felled seams in the same place. Hmmmm....
Now I know why people use semi-circles at the very tip.
Of course, I then decided that I wasn't sure what style/size of pavilion I wanted...or how I was going to make those roof panels work...and I've been carting around around a partially finished tent ever since!
****
This winter seems to be the year of the pavilion.
I've decided to convert the pieces I originally made for the roof of a circular single pole pavilion into the cone-shaped end pieces of a double belled wedge. the finished wedge is going to be about 10' tall so I'm going to have to add additional length to the original pieces. I still haven't figured out how I am going to do *that* so right now I'm working on the center section.
It will be a panel which is 11' high by 9' wide (finished dimensions) on each side. The bottom section of each side will have a 7' high by 6' wide doorway opening bordered by 7' high x1 1/5' wide panels. they will connect to an 1' high by 9, wide panel which forms the top of the doorway, which will connect to a 8' x 9' day shade flap and the remaining 3'high by 9' wide roof piece.
I hope that description makes sense, but it will all be clear in the photos as it starts coming together.
Which brings me to the pictures!
Inspired by many lovely examples of late-period ornamentation I am going for a highly-embellished pavilion. the pilasters on each side of the doorway seemed a natural place for such embellishment and accommodate the candelabrum form well. There will need to be four such panels so, naturally, I am making a panel for each of the four elements. You can see all four panels in their various stages of applique above.
I've finished stitching down the entire "fire" panel and am well on the way with "water" but, as you can see, the other two elements are still in the thinking stages. The fire panel took me a week (hand stitching) so if I can keep up the pace I could have all 4 attached by the end of February. Wish me luck!
I'm pretty sure that they will need additional embroidery to add detailing and make them look less modern. One thing at a time.
This is a detail of the Fire panel. you can see I still need to remove all the stay-stitching from the pieces
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